November 8, 2017 - - Hebrews 11:8-9 NKJV God's land and lands

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11 NKJV

"Men must understand, that not every people have the right to their place on the earth. Men - - and especially men who have fallen into sin - - have no rights to anything. This is what the LORD makes clear, whoever would live there and if there is any talk of rights, then it is only conferred by the right of grace. Abraham and his seed received The Land, which the Canaanites had forfeited through their own godlessness. And when the measure of their sins - - you have only to think of Sodom - - is full, then the people are wiped out by God's legitimate wrath."

W. L. Tukker 'Abraham de vader aller gelovigen'

translation from Dutch to English is my own

The testimony of this passage of Hebrews, and that of Genesis which is the basis for the passage in Hebrews is this: God Who created the heavens and the earth and all peoples, tribes and nations, has the right to set the boundary markers for tribes and nations. All people exist by the grace of the Living God. All people are under the authority of His Son, Jesus enthroned as King of the Nations.

This passage is both a blessing and a warning of a coming curse. Christians, like Abraham, live as strangers and foreigners in lands that are not their own. All the nations of this earth, in which and among whom Christians live as foreigners and strangers, are accountable to the Living God for their conduct. Christians, like Abraham, await the coming day, when the blessing of God will be poured out in Christ so that godlessness will be wiped out. Then God will fashion the new heavens and the new earth and those who believe in Christ will live there and God Himself will be their light and joy.

The debate between Bible-believing Christians and evolution-believing atheists is this: who has the right to dictate our behaviour? For the evolution-believing atheist, man is his own judge and ruler and therefore men are ruled by tyrants and judged by fools. For the Christian, man is ruled by Jesus the rightful King appointed by the Father in heaven. Christians are those who confess their sins and find forgiveness in Jesus' Name. Christians are those whose conduct and life are transparently lived under the right of grace.

God, Creator and Sustainer of all mankind and all the universe, great is Your Name and great is the glory that is Yours. Your Spirit confers wisdom and understanding to believers so that they can live within the gracious boundary lines which You, God, have appointed. Let believers, by their holy conduct, shine as witnesses to Your grace in this age of godlessness. God keep our land glorious and free by bringing people, by the thousands and millions, back into believing and faithful service to You. Amen.